• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-15
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• 2001

According to ICD-10, The typical Depression are characterized by dejected mood, loss of interest and pleasure, feeling of helplessness. Also, other symptoms such as loss of attentiveness and concentration, guilty conscience, pessimistic attitude for the future, sleeping disorder, lack of appetite, thinking of or doing a self-injury or suicidal act may characterize Depression. These Symptoms of Depression are similar to Wool-Zeng(鬱證), Zeon-Zeng(癲證), Her-ro(虛勞), Bul-Sa-Sik(不思食), Tal-Young-Sil-Zeong(脫營失精), Bul-Myeon(不眠), Ki-Myeon(嗜眠) in Oriental Medicine. In general, Depression is classified into Wool-Zeng type and Zeon-Zeng type. The former is similar to the neurotic type of depression, the latter is similar to the psychopathic type of depression. The clear causes of Depression are not known yet. But psychodynamic and biological factors are assumed to cause Depression. Psychodynamic factors may correspond to Chil-Zeong(七情) and biological factors to Tae-Byeong(胎病) and Dam(痰) in Oriental medicine. In Occidental medicine, Depression is treated by psychotherapy and medication. Electrically-induced spasm therapy and phototherapy also used for the treatment of Depression. In Oriental medicine, Depression is treated by more various therapy such as herb medication, acupuncture and moxibustion, oriental psychotherapy and dirigation(Gi-Gong, 氣功). Depression is not easy to cure. When the treatments of Occidental medicine and Oriental medicine are mutually cooperated, more effective medical care might be expected. Therefore, futher study to treat depression by mutually cooperated therapy is necessary.